By supplying 100% renewable electricity to refuelling stations which make hydrogen fuel, we’ll be forming a vital part of the next generation of emission-free transport.

Fuel from water, no emissions

The way we get the petrol and diesel for our cars is something we’re all familiar with: oil is extracted from the ground, processed and shipped to forecourts ready for us to put it in our cars.

But there’s a new fuel in town – hydrogen can be made more quickly, more simply and with far less emissions than traditional fossil fuels.

It might sound too good to be true but making hydrogen needs just two ingredients: electricity and water.

ITM Power’s stations use electrolysis to turn tap water into hydrogen, which can fill the tank of a fuel cell car in three minutes and give a range of 300 miles. There are just two by-products: oxygen and water.

Currently the handful of hydrogen refuelling stations which exist in the UK receive their deliveries by tanker, which means considerable harmful emissions from diesel. By making hydrogen in the same places it will be used, ITM Power is removing this problem.

A zero-carbon hydrogen fuel cell

Previously the energy used to power the making of hydrogen has come from fossil fuels, meaning little or no reduction in overall emissions.

By working with Good Energy, ITM Power will produce truly zero-carbon hydrogen by using our 100% renewable electricity.

With the help of government funding there is expected to be 70 hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK by 2020. It’s set to play a major part in decarbonising our transport system, along with the rise in electric vehicles and hybrids.

Energy storage for surplus electricity

Renewable sources of power sometimes don’t generate when we need them to or generate more electricity than we need. These hydrogen stations can be turned on when there is too much renewable power in the grid, ensuring we don’t waste any clean electricity.

They also offer an exciting opportunity to explore the potential of storage – capturing surplus energy in the form of hydrogen fuel and using it when needed – whether that’s by providing fuel for cars, being converted back into electricity or even feeding directly into the gas grid.

We’re excited to take our 100% renewable promise on the road with ITM – and to get a little further on our journey to a low-carbon future.